Shavehead Lake
Cass County, Michigan93 acresView mapDirections
Not Rated: one monitoring station are on record, but they measured water clarity only. LakeQuality’s A–F method grades total phosphorus, total nitrogen, chlorophyll-a, and turbidity; clarity is shown, not scored.
- 70 ft max depth
- Limited data
Shavehead Lake in Cass County, Michigan is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 8.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 70 ft. Surface area: 93 acres.
- Clarity
- 8.5 ft
- Max depth
- 70 ft
- Area
- 93 acres
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
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Watch Shavehead Lake’s letter
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Why Shavehead Lake has no grade
Shavehead Lake has monitoring on record from one station, but only water clarity was measured. LakeQuality’s A–F letter uses total phosphorus, total nitrogen, chlorophyll-a, and turbidity against EPA National Lakes Assessment condition classes. With none of those grading measurements on record, Shavehead Lake is Not Rated — not an F. Its 8.5-foot median from 137 readings collected 2016–2022 is still shown as clarity, but clarity alone cannot earn a letter.
Not Rated is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. Everything below that has been measured is still reported on this page.
Sampling is run by EGLE and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
Shavehead Lake is a 93-acre lake in Cass County, Michigan with a maximum depth of 70 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 26 documented fish species including Black crappie, Blackchin shiner, and Blacknose shiner.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2022-10-15. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Shavehead Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing26 species recorded
- Deep water70 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
The letter is not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for Shavehead Lake
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8.5 ft. TSI 46.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 8.5 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 46 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 70 ft |
| Surface Area | 93 acres |
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Shavehead Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 7 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.194 m/yr | 7 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +1 µg/L/yr | 2 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Shavehead Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Shavehead Lake Level Control Structure (completed 1960), built primarily for recreation on the Mud Creek; earth-type dam, 6 ft tall and 14.5 ft long.
- Surface area
- 93 ac
- Normal storage
- 260 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 320 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 0 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- Cass County
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MI00764 · Operator website
Graded lakes near Shavehead Lake
Shavehead Lake has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Cass County
Frequently asked questions about Shavehead Lake
Where is Shavehead Lake?
- Shavehead Lake is a lake in Cass County, Michigan. LakeQuality has not rated this lake (UNRATED) — the only measurement available is water clarity, which is not a water-quality indicator on its own — EPA's National Lakes Assessment does not grade clarity.
What is the water quality grade for Shavehead Lake?
- Shavehead Lake in Cass County, Michigan is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 8.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 70 ft. Surface area: 93 acres.
Is Shavehead Lake safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Shavehead Lake?
- Shavehead Lake has a maximum depth of 70 feet. The lake covers 93 acres.
What fish are in Shavehead Lake?
- Fish species found in Shavehead Lake include Black crappie, Blackchin shiner, Blacknose shiner, Bluegill, Bluntnose minnow, Brook silverside, Brown bullhead, Golden shiner, Grass pickerel, Green sunfish, Iowa darter, Johnny darter, Lake chubsucker, Lake herring, Largemouth bass, Mimic shiner, Northern logperch, Pumpkinseed, Rock bass, Sand shiner, Spotted gar, Tadpole madtom, Warmouth, Western blacknose dace, Yellow bullhead, Yellow perch. Shavehead Lake is located in Cass County, Michigan.
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Where this data comes from
137 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2016–2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-26.
Collected and reported by
- North American Lake Management Society
NALMS137 samples · 2016–2022
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated and data sources.